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FC Porto lift Super Cup

The Primeira Liga champions claimed the first piece of silverware of the new season when they defeated CD Aves to claim the Candido de Oliveira Super Cup.

Last May the minnows from the small northern town of Aves in the municipality of Santo Tirso overcame the might of Sporting to lift the Portugal Cup for the first time in their history. It was the underdogs who shocked the Porto fans when they took a fourteenth minute lead through Claudio Falcão but ten minutes later Yacine Brahimi levelled matters. The game was sadly lacking in home grown talent with just six Portuguese - have the others all been signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers? - playing whilst South America could account for sixteen with ten claiming Brazilian nationality! The second period saw the Dragons stamp their undoubted superiority on the game and midway through the half ‘Man-of-the-Match’ Maxi Pereira made it 2-1. Substitute Jesus Corona made the game safe when he added a third six minutes from time. This was Porto’s 21st victory since the inception of the Super Cup thirty-nine years ago. With so much Portuguese talent being enticed abroad by big money, the season ahead should give clubs such as SC Braga and Vitória Guimarães an added incentive. How will the big three get on? It will be interesting to see how the champions Porto fare after losing full-backs Ricardo Pereira and Diogo Dalot in exchange for sizeable transfer fees paid by Leicester City and Manchester United respectively. Although both right-backs, Porto should not be badly affected in the short term judging by the stirring performance of Maxi Pereira in the Super Cup victory over Aves. Of more concern are the ongoing rumours suggesting key striker Moussa Marega and captain Héctor Herrera are being targeted. Marega, scorer of twenty-three goals and a key part of Sérgio Conceição’s high-tempo, high-powered, physically imposing offensive game plan would be particularly badly missed. The main incomers are defenders Militão (São Paulo, Brazil), João Pedro (Bahia, Brazil) and Mbemba (Newcastle United). Benfica had only lost Raúl Jiménezto Wolverhampton Wanderers until news broke last weekend that star striker Jonas could be leaving for the Middle East with Al-Nassr Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) reputed to have offered the Brazilian €5.2m for one season! Jonas has been outstanding for Benfica scoring a staggering 122 goals in 155 matches. Benfica have brought in Argentine striker Facundo Ferreyra from Shakhtar Donetsk and Chilean centre-forward Nicolas Castillo. Two Benfica players who have stood out in pre-season are academy youngsters Alfa Semedo and João Félix. Sporting could struggle this season after all the shenanigans and ongoing confusion surrounding the upcoming presidential elections in which disgraced former president Bruno de Carvalho is still attempting to regain his old position. A poor set of pre-season displays does not augur well for Sporting who lost Rui Patrício, William Carvalho, Gelson Martins, Piccini and Daniel Podence following the attack on players at the Sporting training complex. Replacements include Italian goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano, winger Nani, returning for his third spell at the club, and former Vitória Guimarães attacking midfielder Raphinha, who scored eighteen goals last season. It will be surprising if Sporting are anywhere near the top of the tree come next May. Benfica start the first round of Primeira Liga games on Friday evening at home to Vitória Guimarães. FC Porto entertain GD Chaves on Saturday night whilst Sporting travel to Moreirense on Sunday evening. SC Portimonense receive Boavista at the Portimão Municipal Stadium on Monday kick-off 8.15pm.